Quantcast
Published On: Thu, Jul 13th, 2017

Tips And Tricks For Stellar Summer Grilling

The heat is on, and so are the fun times.  Summer is here, and it is time to get outside.  Swimming pools, outdoor sports, and the distinct flavor of dinner on the grill are some of the very best aspects of summertime.  

Where there is free time and beautiful weather, there is an opportunity for good times and good food (especially in the southeast U.S.).  Take a moment of this beautiful day to read through this quick overview of a few helpful tips and tricks for stellar summer grilling.  You may learn something new!

grilling chicken

Public domain photo/ Heggyhomolit at the wikipedia project

Essential grilling tools

Here is a simplified list of tools needed to create a backyard masterpiece.  

  • Spatula
  • Tongs
  • Basting brush
  • Stiff-wire grill brush
  • Meat thermometer
  • Paper towels
  • Aluminum foil
  • Garbage can

Clean the grill properly before cooking

Remember, grilling revolves around food.  Sanitation is still important, especially when cooking outdoors.  Cleaning the grill before and after every use is good for the food.  

Thoroughly cleaning the grill before and after every use is great for the longevity of the grill.  A dirty grill will rust and break down much quicker than a well-maintained, clean grill.  

How to accurately read your charcoal

One of the most important pieces of information to soak up when it comes to grilling is that the coals (assuming it is not a gas grill) need to be hot.  Most meats need to reach an internal temperature of 130 or more to be safe for consumption.  The grill needs to be super hot.  

The best way to eyeball a lump of coals and know if the grill is hot enough is to remember that ash means heat.  When the coals are still black, there is still plenty of room to get hotter.  Let the coals burn down to a lump of glowing grey coals before placing anything on the racks.  

Avoid excessive turning and babysitting of the food

As a general rule of thumb, the fewer times you flip or turn something on the grill, the better.  When it comes to meats, they will let you know when they are ready to flip.  If the meat is still sticking to the foil on the grill, then it is not ready to move.  Wait until the meat easily releases from the foil, and flip it once.  

Avoid babysitting the food as well.  Those commercials that show a dude in the backyard laughing and talking with his family while holding the grill lid opened and rolling the food around is a terrible cook.  As a matter of fact, he is an actor.  Try to open the lid as little as possible once the food is placed on the rack.

Author: Anna Johansson

On the DISPATCH: Headlines  Local  Opinion

Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter

* indicates required
/ ( mm / dd ) [ALL INFO CONFIDENTIAL]

About the Author

- Outside contributors to the Dispatch are always welcome to offer their unique voices, contradictory opinions or presentation of information not included on the site.

Leave a comment

XHTML: You can use these html tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

like_us_on_facebook

 

The Global Dispatch Facebook page- click here

Movie News Facebook page - click here

Television News Facebook page - click here

Weird News Facebook page - click here 

DISPATCH RADIO

dispatch_radio

THE BRANDON JONES SHOW

brandon_jones_show-logo

Archives